The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-06-09
"ENaL1sH AS SHE Is TAUGHT. ="

There has been q deal of suDerficls !
talk and writing Of late, provoked b.
Mark TWain's article In the April Cen
tury, on English as She is Taught"
Some persons who have been heard from
in the subject have been th0ughtless
enough to call Mr.. Clemens's article an
arraignment Of the public schools aud
the public school teachers OF the c0un-
try. Because Mr.. Clemens was able to
string together number Of ludiCrOus
definitions given by children, the infer
enCe has been drawn that the public
school system of the country is all
wrong; and to read after some OF the
presuming Censors who have taken Mr..
Clemens's citations for their text, one
might be led to suppose that q genera
tiOn Of ounces was being run through
the public school mold. Now, all that
has In fact been established BY Mr
Clemens-if indeed he has furnished
data enough for any generalization
about the matter-is that there are
some dull pupils In the public schools;
and the additional fact, possibly, chat
children. are often asked questions
which are beyond their age, and there
fore that the fool was the QuestiOner
al d not the child. The Cincinnati Com
merCial Gazette, In giving list Of mis-
takes by school children quite as ludis
cEOus as those cited by Mark Twain,
very sensibly comments: 4@R,
"WhO is responsible for the dull and
simple child but the authors Of its be
ing? The pupils that are unevenly
yoked cannot keep pace together, and
by them many Of the mistakes are made.
Then there are the children that run to
special pursuits who are no more re-
spOnsible for their failings In certain
branches than they are to be commended
for their brightness In others. A child
may be color blind and yet possessed Of
the keenest vision. Abnormally devel-
oped minds are not amenable to train
ing In all directions"
cit ls not necessary, In speaking Of the
public schools, to say that they ar
above criticism. They are getting plenty
Of that from men competent to speak,
men In and out Of public educational
work. The public schools are open to
criticism Just as other latterday institu
tiOns-the churches, government, the
courts, In short, humanity In general.
But IL is we'll to be consequential and
logical In these indictments. To say
hat the definitions of dull pupils are q
sample Of the work Of the public
schools, is Just about 20 good logic rs
to say that the weak bodied and weak
minded little ones born into the wOrl0
are fair specimens Of the kind Of child
rem the human family Is able to produce
In this day of the world. The pity ie
that all the children who 60 to the pub
lie schools must be put through the
same mold; but there will never come a
time when every child In the world can
have his own tutor, and as long as there
is grsgariOus education, there will be
constant exhibitions of glaring inequal.
tiles Of capacity and attainment. If
the public school course Of study is
Pr0Crnstean bed, ss some would say, the
fact that child falls short Of fitting 1t
must not necessarily be laid to the fault
of the bed. II there be such thing as
making 1t flexible, 90 much the better.
And II the earDers who complain be
cause there are stupids, will show how
the public schools can develop the dor
mant possibilities Of backward students,
without compelling the bright ones to
come down to the dead level Of the dull,
they will have accomplished something
for the race, and that Is more than their
illogical criticisms will ever do.